arguably the most recognizable video game song in history
April 13, 2023 6:45 AM Subscribe
The Super Mario Bros. Theme Is the First Video Game Music Enshrined in the National Recording Registry [Polygon] “Mamma mia, the Super Mario Bros. theme has been rightfully recognized as a key contribution to U.S. history. It’s one of the 25 songs that will be added to the National Recording Registry this year, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced on Wednesday, and the first video game song to ever be added. The Super Mario Bros. theme, officially titled “Ground Theme,” was composed by Koji Kondo, the storied Japanese composer behind many of Nintendo’s hits. The theme, released in 1985, has become ubiquitous — it’s appeared in numerous subsequent Mario games, was a theme in the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie, and has been remixed countless times across YouTube, TikTok, and elsewhere. 61-year-old Kondo, who still works at Nintendo, has made so many contributions to video game music history, including themes for The Legend of Zelda and arrangements in Super Smash Bros. games.”
Swing your arms from side to side!
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:54 AM on April 13, 2023
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:54 AM on April 13, 2023
Speaking of Captain Lou, the Mario Bros. Rap from the old cartoon was rearranged for the recent Mario movie. To the bridge!
posted by Servo5678 at 7:11 AM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 7:11 AM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
That's awesome.
Maybe in the sequel they can reference Club Mario.
Tommy Treehugger and Co MC are an important part of Mario lore that shouldn't be forgotten!
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:24 AM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
Maybe in the sequel they can reference Club Mario.
Tommy Treehugger and Co MC are an important part of Mario lore that shouldn't be forgotten!
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:24 AM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
Adam Neely talks about video game (especially Mario) music's effect on the music world in his wonderful video The Nintendo-fication of Jazz.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:30 AM on April 13, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:30 AM on April 13, 2023 [6 favorites]
The Strong Songs podcast episode discussing this is awesome – talks about the very limited palette of sounds they had access to, breaks down implied chords and the rhythms, and how the other game sounds contribute to the overall experience.
posted by lookoutbelow at 7:44 AM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by lookoutbelow at 7:44 AM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
The stuff that Koji Kondo and the rest of the team at Nintendo were doing within the limits of the NES is phenomenal to consider They did so much with so little. Damn, I feel old.
posted by Fizz at 7:50 AM on April 13, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 7:50 AM on April 13, 2023 [3 favorites]
There's an excellent 33 1/3 book discussing Koji Kondo's creation of this soundtrack.
posted by TheKaijuCommuter at 7:53 AM on April 13, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by TheKaijuCommuter at 7:53 AM on April 13, 2023 [3 favorites]
Somebody put a worm in my ear again. Get it ouuutttt!
Here's your medicine.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:32 AM on April 13, 2023
Here's your medicine.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:32 AM on April 13, 2023
On a related note, I just discovered that someone actually ported Super Mario Brothers to the C64. It is amazing.
posted by grumpybear69 at 9:02 AM on April 13, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 9:02 AM on April 13, 2023 [5 favorites]
How is he only 61? That's amazing.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 10:16 AM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 10:16 AM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
He was 23 when he was hired by Nintendo!!
posted by Fizz at 10:42 AM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 10:42 AM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
Also included in the same batch of audio archived by the Library of Congress recently: Carl Sagan's short recording, A Pale Blue Dot
posted by rmannion at 12:22 PM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by rmannion at 12:22 PM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also available in very-high-voltage form!
posted by traveler_ at 3:29 PM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by traveler_ at 3:29 PM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
I just discovered that one of my itty bitty babies at work loves this song (sung poorly by me) while I boop her chin and nose.
posted by kathrynm at 4:33 PM on April 13, 2023
posted by kathrynm at 4:33 PM on April 13, 2023
This song is extra notable to me for a silly reason.
I used to live in a mid-sized American city where the business community threw an annual gala to celebrate notable people in local business, government, education, and the arts. They called it "The 40 Under 40" and many years ago I was an awardee.
The event was held in a big venue with maybe a thousand attendees and great food and booze. The climax was the award ceremony, which kicked off with each of the 40 walking down the aisle to the stage while their theme song plays and everyone applauds.
Only, when the organizers had asked the awardees for their song choice, they weren't told how it would be used. It was just one item on a questionnaire, phrased like "Name a song that's meaningful to you." So when the 40 drunken awardees waiting in the lobby saw the first person walk out, they realized what was happening, and they started to freak the fuck out.
"I just put in a random song!" and "I don't like Gangnam Style THAT much" or "Oh now everybody is gonna think I still love the New Kids" or "Fleetwood Mac was meaningful to my DAD" and general lament that their choice didn't represent them and would in fact be humiliating.
But the organizers had previously called me for an unrelated reason, and I had asked about it. The caller just flat-out told me what the song was for, so I had time to think about it. I contemplated what song might represent me. I talked about it with my friends, my confidants, my IT guy. He suggested the Zelda theme.
So there I was toward the back of a line of panicking people. Someone asked me what my song would be. I answered "You know that song from that old game Super Mario Brothers?" They got a very straight face. "That's a good fucking choice." They told the next person in the line. "This guy? His song? Super Mario Brothers."... "Oh fuck that's a cool theme song." My secret moved up the line. People would look back at me with jealousy. They'd talk to their neighbor, and that person would do the same. "Motherfucker".
One poor sod had to walk out into this incredibly high energy event to the aching strains of "Amazing Grace", but I did alright, and got a laugh. This is the song that everyone wishes was their theme song.
posted by rlk at 4:35 PM on April 13, 2023 [11 favorites]
I used to live in a mid-sized American city where the business community threw an annual gala to celebrate notable people in local business, government, education, and the arts. They called it "The 40 Under 40" and many years ago I was an awardee.
The event was held in a big venue with maybe a thousand attendees and great food and booze. The climax was the award ceremony, which kicked off with each of the 40 walking down the aisle to the stage while their theme song plays and everyone applauds.
Only, when the organizers had asked the awardees for their song choice, they weren't told how it would be used. It was just one item on a questionnaire, phrased like "Name a song that's meaningful to you." So when the 40 drunken awardees waiting in the lobby saw the first person walk out, they realized what was happening, and they started to freak the fuck out.
"I just put in a random song!" and "I don't like Gangnam Style THAT much" or "Oh now everybody is gonna think I still love the New Kids" or "Fleetwood Mac was meaningful to my DAD" and general lament that their choice didn't represent them and would in fact be humiliating.
But the organizers had previously called me for an unrelated reason, and I had asked about it. The caller just flat-out told me what the song was for, so I had time to think about it. I contemplated what song might represent me. I talked about it with my friends, my confidants, my IT guy. He suggested the Zelda theme.
So there I was toward the back of a line of panicking people. Someone asked me what my song would be. I answered "You know that song from that old game Super Mario Brothers?" They got a very straight face. "That's a good fucking choice." They told the next person in the line. "This guy? His song? Super Mario Brothers."... "Oh fuck that's a cool theme song." My secret moved up the line. People would look back at me with jealousy. They'd talk to their neighbor, and that person would do the same. "Motherfucker".
One poor sod had to walk out into this incredibly high energy event to the aching strains of "Amazing Grace", but I did alright, and got a laugh. This is the song that everyone wishes was their theme song.
posted by rlk at 4:35 PM on April 13, 2023 [11 favorites]
Nthing the Strong Songs episode if you want to get into the details of the notes and harmonies and why it’s so amazing. Light music theory and heavy music nerdiness.
posted by caviar2d2 at 3:58 AM on April 14, 2023
posted by caviar2d2 at 3:58 AM on April 14, 2023
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DO THE MARIO!
posted by RonButNotStupid at 6:51 AM on April 13, 2023 [7 favorites]